The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Fisnics Lil’.
‘Fisnics Lil’ is a product of a planned breeding program and originated from a hybridization made by the inventor, Birgit C. Hofmann, in a controlled breeding program in Hillscheid, Germany, in 2000.
The female parent was the commercial variety ‘Logia’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,935, under the variety denomination ‘Kilogia’), characterized by red-purple flower color, medium green foliage, and roughly medium sized plant habit.
The male parent was the variety ‘Celebration Lavender Glow’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,652, under the denomination ‘Balcelavgo’), having light purple flower color, medium green foliage, relatively small leaves, and medium sized plant habit.
‘Fisnics Lil’ was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by the inventor in April 2001 in a greenhouse in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain.
The first act of vegetative or asexual reproduction of ‘Fisnics Lil’ was accomplished when cuttings were taken from the initial selection in July 2001 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, by, or under the supervision of, Birgit Hofmann.
Horticultural examination of plants grown from these cuttings initiated in spring of 2002 in Hillscheid, Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Fisnics Lil’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.
‘Fisnics Lil’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length, without, however, any variation in genotype. The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.